Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah, has recently been the source of public outcry. When the Salt Lake City and Smith Entertainment Group presented revitalization plans for the downtown, there was concern that Abravanel Hall would be demolished. A public outcry ensued, and a petition with 35,000 signatures, which opposed the hall’s demolition, was gathered.
Despite the concern, the city decided to keep Abravanel Hall in conjunction with the revitalization plan to create an entertainment district downtown, which included extensive renovations to Delta Arena and the building of a new entertainment area. This announcement was welcome news for fans of the iconic structure, which opened in 1979 and has long been the home of the Utah Symphony and an architectural landmark in the downtown core.
Our ties to Abravanel Hall
We were excited to hear that Abravanel Hall is being preserved as we had the opportunity to be part of the team that worked on the 2015 renovation for a new entry plaza. It was an exciting project for our civil engineering that had more than a few surprises. The goal of the re-design was to create a finished entryway plaza into the hall with an adjoining grassy park, public seating, walkways, and mellow lighting. Our team was hired to work with HKS Architects to design the grading and drainage system, a new retaining wall, an erosion control plan, and a new stormwater collection system.
This project turned out to be much more complicated than anyone initially thought. When the original concrete was removed, the soil was wet, and it was soon discovered that an on-site fountain had been slowly leaking for years. The ground was also structurally unsound. All affected soil was removed and replaced, but additional testing was done to ensure the foundation was sound enough to pour new concrete.
One last surprise during this project was discovering a small cable box underground. No one was able to determine its origins or attachments. It took two weeks to discover that it was an old communications cable box from Temple Square and to remove it safely.
After both of these unexpected surprises, the project moved forward. A new sidewalk was installed, and even a radiant heating system underneath walkways to melt ice and snow during the winter. When the project was finished, it was a complete refresh of the building entrance for such an iconic structure. Not only did the new entry plaza look better and provide a wonderful outdoor gathering space, but it was also more functional and had a better setup to handle erosion and stormwater challenges with our designs in place.
The importance of water management
Our time working on the Abravanel Hall plaza was highly instructive. We learned to anticipate setbacks and how vital water management systems, like stormwater drainage, can be. As we move forward to work on new projects, our team is committed to learning more about the best water management practices.
Civil engineers are turning to AI for enhanced water management
The unexpected water damage we encountered on the Abravnel Hall project reminded us just how deadly water can be. Water management, particularly stormwater management, is a growing concern for civil engineers as climate change causes increasingly severe flooding. The need for more sophisticated stormwater management tools is more pressing than ever.
An article in the November/December issue of Civil Engineering highlighted how civil engineers use AI to aid in flood analysis and mitigation strategies. Previously, engineers relied on on-the-ground surveys and topographical maps to create projections of flood zones and guide their water management designs. Now, AI is being used to develop better computer models that can interpret vast amounts of data about an area, such as topography, vegetation, soil type, hard surfaces, and other factors that may influence flooding and water management.
Key Benefits of AI in Stormwater Management:
- Comprehensive flood insights: AI models provide real-time data to support emergency planning and recovery efforts.
- Complex scenario modeling: Engineers can simulate scenarios such as flash flooding to design resilient infrastructure.
- Risk identification: AI helps urban planners identify high-risk areas, improving preparedness and response strategies.
By leveraging AI, civil engineers can design stormwater systems such as retention ponds, catchment basins, berms, and culverts to withstand increasingly severe flooding. As an industry, adopting these advanced tools allows us to mitigate the risks of water damage on our projects and deliver design results that can withstand flooding and stormwater damage for our clients.
We learned how destructive even minor water leaks can be while working on the Abravanel Hall entryway. The water damage we saw on that project pushed the timeline back and required additional design work to stabilize the area. It was an instructive lesson on the challenges that come with water management and the importance of addressing them effectively. As the need for better water management, particularly stormwater management, grows, we’re excited to explore the potential of AI to refine our designs and enhance our ability to protect infrastructure and communities.
